15 Facts About Tal Farlow

Talmage Holt Farlow was an American jazz guitarist.

Tal Farlow was nicknamed "Octopus" because of how his large, quick hands spread over the fretboard.

Talmage Holt Farlow was born in Greensboro, North Carolina, United States.

Tal Farlow taught himself how to play guitar, which he started when he was 22 years old.

Tal Farlow learned chord melodies by playing a mandolin tuned like a ukulele.

Tal Farlow said playing the ukulele was the reason he used the higher four strings on the guitar for the melody and chord structure, with the two bottom strings for bass counterpoint, which he played with his thumb.

Tal Farlow requested the night shift so he could listen to big band standards on the shop radio.

Tal Farlow listened to Bix Beiderbecke, Louis Armstrong, and Eddie Lang.

Tal Farlow's career was influenced by hearing Charlie Christian playing electric guitar with the Benny Goodman band.

Tal Farlow said he made his own electric guitar because he could not afford to purchase one.

Tal Farlow employed artificial harmonics and tapped his guitar for percussion, creating a flat, snare drum sound or a hollow backbeat like the bongos.

Tal Farlow caught the public's attention in 1949 when he was in a trio with Red Norvo and Charles Mingus.

Tal Farlow continued to play occasional dates in local clubs.

Later in his career Tal Farlow performed as a member of Great Guitars with a DVD released in 2005 after his death.

Tal Farlow died of esophageal cancer at Memorial Sloan-Kettering Cancer Center in New York City on July 25,1998, at the age of 77.